Bev,
Oooooo-kaaaay. My bad. For the record, I hold you in high esteem and
have since meeting you many years ago at an IPC conference. I as an
unarmed man would never knowingly choose to engage in battle of wits with you.
If I ever were to intentionally give offense to you it would be for
the express purpose of good lold fashioned manly smack talkin'
fellowship -- not for any serious intent. Maybe that's a west coast
thing tho'...
Ol' Sol had it right, "When there are many words transgression is
unavoidable..." again -- Mea Culpa.
That wasn't really intended to ignite "serious" political debate. Hey
-- some of my best friends are Canadians. ;^P
I even have plenty of immediate family north of the border (being
born in Alaska and raised in WA, the inbreeding was inevitable). In
fact, we just had friends of over 25 yrs from Three Hills here with
us defrosting for over a week. We kept apologizing for our weather
while it snowed up there in May. Heck, I serve as a de facto cultural
and linguistic translator for several young Canadian ex-pat engineers
locally. Thank goodness for Canadian Bacon and Strange Brew, and
summers at bible camp with Canadian kids who'd sneak over the border
to swim in a warmer lake, eh? ;^)
Obviously hit a nerve a little harder than I intended, eh? No offense
intended, eh? Seriously, eh?
At 03:49 AM 5/26/2008, Bev Christian wrote:
>Dwight,
>1) I am what is sometimes referred to as born again Christian, therefore you
>can't get much more anti-communist than I am.
:-) ixthus
>2) Nor am I a socialist, being the son of a small independent businessman,
>the heart and soul of what capitalism should be.
huzzah. That requires an especially hardy individual -- increasingly
here in the US, and (what I understand from family/friend business
owner north of the border) even more so in Canada.
>5) I am not happy that you consider my country "the entitlement system gone
>wild".
NTC... In all humor there is an element of truth revealed, no? So,
I'll take the bait on a couple of these. Not so much as to continue
the thread (unless you wish offline or whatever) as to reveal/explain
my frame of reference.
You guessed it -- was particularly thinking of the medical system.
My family's packed w/ Medical professionals on both sides of the
border (from Nurses to Human Resource Directors to Hospital
Administrators and MDs) so it's a topic of much debate and discussion
on the home front. Politically, I admit it's a bit of a tender point
for me. I have grown weary of the US Left foisting the Canadian
medical system on us in the US Left as the Great Ideal, the utopian
salvation of the uninsured in the US.
>I have no problem supporting with my taxes a medical system that
>tries to help everyone.
That's commendable and charitable sentiment and worthy of
respect. W/out belaboring it or picking a fight, I'd submit for your
later rumination and cogitation that the market and tax policy may
have provide more efficient and effective solutions. Solutions with
a) less "friction" than passing the funds through government hands
and b) that encourage saner behavior by the medical consumer and
practioner alike.
>6) You are ill-informed about Quebec. Check your facts.
>7) The quote is drivel. You have managed to insult every anticommunist
>socialist in Europe who stood on the front line for 50 years (i.e. the Iron
>Curtain) to help make sure Communism did not swallow us all. For instance,
>how about socialist, "neutral" Sweden, which had one of the largest air
>forces in the world? Which way was the defence system pointed? Toward the
Considering the relative result on freedoms and prosperity apparent
(my perception) between more & less socialist nations and states in
the US, I chose the latter. Between anywhere in Europe of the US, I
choose the US. Between AK or TX and CA -- I'd choose AK or TX.
(however, inertia and family have me tied to CA for the time being).
>East or the West?
>
>If socialists want to stand for election in a democratic country and be
>freely elected, govern and then lose an election, which has happened many
>times in Canada and other places, what makes them so evil? Where does
>anyone get off by saying that they are out to enslave me or anyone else, if
>free peoples chose them knowing they can be turfed out if and when they
>screw up, like any other political party?
We've held all kinds of evil positions in US history as a result of
democratic action at the ballot box. People surely can sell
themselves down the river w/out realizing it.
Throughout history free people have repeatedly sold themselves into
one form of bondage or another -- sometimes unwittingly, sometimes as
a result of not understanding the future consequences of their
present choices. Joseph did a pretty good job <ahem> capitalizing on
that during the 7 lean years, no?
<off on a rabbit trail?>
Democracy is like ENIG. It is the worst thing we've ever used except
for everything else we've tried. I for one don't want to live in a
democracy. I choose a representative democracy.
IMAO, we in the US have swung too far from being a Federal Republic
toward direct democracy. Just because people can vote it doesn't make
it good. The franchise is so large and easy now and the civics
education so poor that... (sigh). We have people screaming "foul:
disenfranchisement" when we ask for positive ID at the polls!
To many that makes me start sounding pretty elitist. Hard to imagine
for this kid from a little logging and coal town who spent way too
many years in enlisted berthing... Guess I've sold out on my
hometown's
<http://content.lib.washington.edu/iwwweb/read.html>IWW<http://content.lib.washington.edu/iwwweb/read.html>
roots.
The power to tax is the power to destroy. Ultimately the trade is
freedom for government services.
>And of course this mish mash of an e-mail contains my own opinions and do
>not represent the company I work for.
>Bev
>PS: Note that I am writing form home to further distance this from my
>employer.
No problem, mate. You're a gentleman and a scholar. I, on the hand,
am neither. But I am your brother and I apologize again for any
inflammatory hyperbole. If I search myself I have to admit it
probably was mean't to get a rise -- but not give offense.
cheers,
dw
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bev Christian [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 10:10 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Fw: [TN] Fwd: Message from the Queen - NTC
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: TechNet <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sun May 25 20:35:08 2008
>Subject: Re: [TN] Fwd: Message from the Queen - NTC
>
>I suppose adding the Pac NW and Alaska to Canunkistan would shore up
>the contributions of Alberta to the entitlement system gone wild up
>in Mackenzie Bro' land. That would extend the time till the
>inevitable socialistic "Q" province led bankruptcy but it still
>sounds like a suicide pact to me.
>
>"There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in
>the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to
>enslave men by force, socialism - by vote. It is merely the
>difference between murder and suicide."
>
> - From "Foreign Policy Drains U.S. of Main Weapons" Ayn Rand
>
>
>At 03:48 PM 5/25/2008, Bev Christian wrote:
> >Joe,
> >I expect that since you guys have elected a fair number of
> >Republican presidents of late, you may get some hate mail.
> >
> >Except for your whopping national debt (and Iraq) we would be happy
> >to accept you as the 11th through to the 60th province.
> >
> >I could go on about the parts of the Pacific Northwest, North
> >Dakota, Minnesota and Maine that should be part of Canukistan ( so
> >we are called by some in your country :). ) By I will end here.
> >Regards,
> >Bev
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: TechNet <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Sun May 25 18:20:38 2008
> >Subject: [TN] Fwd: Message from the Queen - NTC
> >
> >To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
> >Sent: 5/25/2008 12:46:42 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
> >Subj: Message from the Queen
> >
> >
> >
> >** Important, please read thoroughly! **
> >To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty
> >Queen Elizabeth II
> >
> >In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates
> >for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give
>notice
> >of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
> >Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties
>over
> >all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas , which she does
> >not fancy).
> >Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America
> >without the need for further elections.
> >Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.
> >A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of
>you
> >noticed.
> >To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following
>rules
> >are introduced with immediate effect:
> >(You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)
> >
> >1. Then look up aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be
> >amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
> >2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,'
> >'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell
> >'doughnut' without
> >skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the
> >suffix '-ise'. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to
> >acceptable levels. (Look up 'vocabulary.')
> >------- -----------------
> >3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such
>as
> >'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of
> >communication. There is no such thing as US English. We will let
> >M*crosoft know on your
> >behalf. The M*crosoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account
>the
> >reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize.
> >-------------------
> >4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
> >-----------------
> >5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers,
>or
> >therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows
>that
> >you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for
> >shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone
> >or speaking to
> >a therapist then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
> >----------------------
> >6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more
> >dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish
>to
> >carry a vegetable peeler in public.
> >----------------------
> >7. Al l intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will
>start
> >driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will
>go
> >metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables.
> >Both round abouts and metrication will help you understand the British
>sense
> >of humour.
> >--------------------
> >8. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been
> >calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
> >-------------------
> >9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries
>are
> >not real chips, and those things you insist on c alling potato chips are
> >properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and
> >dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
> >-------------------
> >10. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually
>beer
> >at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as
>beer,
> >and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to
>as
> >Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound
>the
> >greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can o nly be due to the beer. They
> >are also part of British Commonwealth - see what it did for them.
>American
> >'beer' brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine,
> >so that all can
> >be sold without risk of further confusion.
> >---------------------
> >11. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good
> >guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play
> >English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English
> >dialogue in Four
> >Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears
> >removed with
> >a cheese grater.
> >---------------------
> >12. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of
> >proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough
> >will, in time, be
> >allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football,
>but
> >does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full
> >kevlar body Armour like a bunch of nancies). Don't try Rugby - the South
> >Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.
> >---------------------
> >13. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host
>an
> >event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of
> >America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond
> >your borders,
> >your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will
> >let you face
> >the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
> >--------------------
> >14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
> >-----------------
> >15. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's
> >Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of
> >all monies due
> >(backdated to 1776).
> >---------------
> >16. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, with saucers,
> >and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus
> >strawberries (with cream) when in season.
> >
> >God Save the Queen!
> >
> >PS:
> >Go ahead and share this with your friends in the USA (those with a good
> >sense of humour and NOT humor.)
> >
> >Friday came early this week... ;-)
> >
> >Cheers,
> >Joe
> >
> >
> >
> >**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with
> >Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.
> >(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002)
> >
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